What Possibly Could Go Wrong?
by ChocolateWonder
Summary: James is meeting his girlfriend's parents. Chaos ensues and catastrophe strikes as James tries to fit into Lily's family, and meanwhile combating his own obstacles. Jily. ON HIATUS.
1. Approval

James didn't know why, but a sudden feeling of foreboding swept over him the moment he stepped into the Evans household.

Lily had warned him, of course, about the trivial challenges he might meet during his week-long stay.

Her sister wouldn't take too kindly to his appearance, especially since her fiancé was also visiting. Her mother would be all of a flutter, excited because she had heard so much about James. James was ready for those interactions.

However, it was Lily's father he dreaded meeting. Lily had forewarned him that her father was judgmental, and would not accept him until he had proved himself worthy. Lily advised him to speak to him cordially, and to not behave childishly.

James's thoughts were cut off abruptly, as a woman dashed into the hall.

He began to greet her, a sentence already forming in his head, when she gave him a gigantic hug.

James returned the hug. Mrs. Evans pulled away ever so gently, and once she got a proper look at him, she gasped.

"Lily, you never told me that he was this good-looking! Look at him, Graham, isn't he handsome?"

James's gaze shifted behind the woman, and for a second, he thought he was seeing double.

Lily was standing there, beaming, but it was the man beside her that made James's stomach twist itself into a knot.

Graham Evans looked exactly like his late daughter, with vivid red hair that was receding, and bright green eyes. He was staring at James, his gaze unreadable.

"Petunia, darling, our special guest is here!" trilled Mrs. Evans.

A few seconds later, 'Petunia' entered the hall. James's first impression of her was that she was fairly good-looking, but that was stretching the truth. Petunia looked like a horse.

When she caught sight of James, she donned an expression which only made her horse-like features more pronounced.

There was an extremely tense silence that followed Petunia's arrival. James was feeling uncomfortable, so, in order to break the silence, extracted a velvet box from his pocket.

"For you, sir," he said politely, extending it to Mr. Evans.

Mr. Evans eyed it warily, and then accepted it cautiously. He prised open the lid.

His eyes enlarged to the size of the item in the box.

"Lily tells me you like golf, sir, so I brought this for you," he said, trying not to appear too excited at Mr. Evans's reaction.

Mr. Evans lifted the autographed golf ball into the air, looking like he was holding a piece of history. Mrs. Evans was still waiting expectantly for her gift.

"And this, madam, is for you." He pulled out another velvet box, this one smaller than the one he had given to her husband.

She opened the box. Inside was a pair of earrings, adorned with gleaming amethysts.

"Oh James, they're perfect!" cried Mrs. Evans.

James could tell that he had won her over, so he turned to Mr. Evans. The man was clearly still in shock.

James's gaze landed on Petunia. She was watching him carefully, her arms crossed haughtily over her chest. Their eyes met, and James assumed immediately that her feelings towards him had not changed one jot.

They all trooped merrily into the kitchen, Lily expressing her joy to James. James promised her that she would receive her gift later, but only when they had some privacy. He didn't want to show off how much money he had.

Mrs. Evans directed him kindly to the dining room.

A revolting stench greeted him and almost made him gag. A porky, oversized man was seated in one of the chairs, which seemed to be much bigger than the other chairs. James guessed instantly that this was Lily's future brother-in-law, the one she had talked about with a disgusted look on her face.

The man merely grunted in greeting when he walked in. James sat in the chair farthest from him.

Lucky for him, Mrs. Evans bustled in, saving him from having to initiate an awkward conversation.

"Oh good, you have already acquainted yourself with Vernon," she said cheerfully.

So that was the name of that pig.

Mrs. Evans set down the tureen she was carrying.

"That smells amazing, Mrs. Evans," he complimented.

"Thank you, James, and I'd prefer if you'd call me Rose. We are one big family, after all!" she said, with a large smile.

One by one, the rest of the Evans family sat down. Lily slid in next to James.

Then, the interrogation started. Each question James answered, the family began to like him more and more, save for Petunia and Vernon. By the end of the meal, the four of them were chatting enthusiastically. James was going over the finer details of Quidditch to Mr. Evans. Petunia and Vernon had disgruntled looks on their faces. Every so often, Vernon would try to slip in a comment about his high position in his business, but no one was acknowledging him. Finally, Petunia stood up, setting her fork down loudly. Everyone looked up.

"I'm sorry to break up this cozy little gathering, but Vernon and I have places to be. Thanks for the dinner, Mum, it was splendid."

She was breathing heavily, her nostrils flaring with frustration. She marched out of the room, Vernon trailing at her heels. His piggy eyes zeroed in on James, and he cast him a disdainful look. James returned it, with pity.

The Evans family, or what remained of it after their eldest daughter's abrupt departure, stared at each other. James shifted, unable to come up with something to say.

Luckily, Mrs. Evans interrupted the heavy silence. "Well, that's a shame that they left so early. I haven't brought out dessert yet!"

The dessert turned out to be vanilla soufflé, which was scrumptious. Then they all retreated into the living room. James was fascinated by the television, which he had never been introduced to. He and Mr. Evans sat on the couch, Mr. Evans briefing him on its uses.

Lily sat contentedly in an armchair, watching the two men with a soft smile on her face. Mrs. Evans kept coming in and out of the room, setting up the necessary ingredients needed for hot cocoa.

The four of them settled comfortably in seats. Eventually, Lily and Mr. Evans switched places, and Lily rested her head on James's lap. The general atmosphere was peaceful. For a few minutes, James almost tricked himself into believing that there wasn't a war currently raging in the Wizarding World. It felt so safe here, he almost wanted to believe that he was a Muggle.

But that wasn't true. He couldn't turn back, not now. He had outlined his destiny when he had decided to become an active member of the war.

Almost as if she was reading his thoughts, Lily snuggled closer to him, and he placed an arm around her waist.

But the peaceful atmosphere didn't last. Soon, there were two loud cracks, and Mrs. Evans screamed.

 **ooo, a cliffhanger! Wonder what'll happen next. Only I know (evil laugh). Review, review, and review!**


	2. Battle

Lily and James jumped to their feet, instinctively drawing their wands.

Sirius and Remus appeared, the former coughing loudly, the latter trying to regain his balance.

James rounded on them challengingly, pointing his wand at them. Lily copied his movements, moving so that she was standing right next to James.

"Where did I take Lily on our second date?" he asked pointedly.

"Rose Flower Gardens," responded Remus hurriedly, "Listen, James, Lily, there's been an attack on the outskirts of Cokeworth. Death Eaters are flooding in by the numbers. We're outnumbered, but we could really use your help. Moody's orders. "

He addressed Lily's parents, who were observing the scene with wide eyes. "I'm sorry, Mr. Evans, for intruding, but it's really urgent."

Mr. Evans was looking torn between forbidding his daughter from going, and permitting her to fight.

Finally, he drew himself up. "Go and fight if you must, but please return in one piece."

His eyes lingered on James.

"Excellent," said Sirius breathlessly, grabbing Lily's arm and Disapparating on the spot.

James made to leave too, but Lily's father beckoned him.

"I trust that you will keep my Lily safe?"

James nodded solemnly. "I solemnly swear, sir."

"With your life?"

"Of course. I love her."

In one glorious moment, he saw acceptance in Mr. Evans's eyes, that were so green- completely identical to Lily's.

James turned on the spot, and for a few seconds, felt the air close in around him.

Then, the sounds of battle reached his ears. Cokeworth was a relatively small place, so it was not difficult to find the battle.

Jets of red and green streaked over his head as James dashed into the battle. He twirled and dodged the spells his attackers threw at him.

One spell hit his jaw, and blood spattered his clothes. It stung like hell in the cool December air. It was frigid, and yet James felt sweat drip down as he swiftly avoided the next spell.

As the battle painstakingly wore on, James kept an eye out for anyone who needed assistance. There were plenty of people, because the Death Eaters didn't seem to be surrendering anytime soon.

A dreadful scream rent the air, and James froze as his blood turned to ice.

The scream belonged to Lily.

He shouted a Stunning Spell, and without looking back, he sprinted towards the source of scream.

With the speed of a cheetah and gazelle combined, he raced through the battlers. He dodged several sets of duellers, and his eyes alighted on the last pair.

He almost had a heart attack.

Lily was dangling precariously in the air, and Voldemort was situated beneath her, looking triumphant.

" _NO_!"

The scream was horrible he almost thought that it hadn't come from his mouth.

The battle ceased, and everyone watched in silent horror as James sprinted towards Voldemort, yelling every swear word in his dictionary.

"STOP OR SHE DIES!"

James skidded to a halt, glaring fiercely at Voldemort.

"My, my, if it isn't Potter," said Voldemort, "So, we meet again."

"LET HER GO, YOU SON OF A-"

"Hush!" snarled Voldemort suddenly.

He sniffed the air. "I smell a stench. A stench of fear and Mudbloods."

The crowd shrank back, and James daringly took a step forward.

He probably had a death wish, doing this. But if he wanted to save Lily from a gruesome death, he had to.

" _Cru-_ "

Suddenly, a bright white flash blinded everyone in the vicinity. Dumbledore appeared in the wake. James, who received a direct hit from the flash, was left seeing spots.

Voldemort recovered quickly. "Well, hello, Dumbledore, glad to see that you still have that flair for dramatic entrances."

Someone cackled nearby.

"Hello, Tom, glad to see that you have retained your foul sense of humor," Dumbledore responded in kind.

The movement was so quick that James missed it. In a blink of an eye, the two men were at it.

There was so much magic and hatred in the air, their surroundings crackled and sizzled with energy.

But James was oblivious to everything. Lily was hurtling to the ground at an alarming rate.

James sprinted forward, a promise ringing through his head. "I trust that you will keep my Lily safe?"

"I solemnly swear it, sir. I love her."

Promise or no promise, James was still going to save her.

" _Arresto Momentum!_ " he shouted

Lily's body drifted slowly to the ground, her fall abhorred slightly.

James dove, and caught Lily. Her emerald eyes were grateful, with a slight hint of sadness.

"I love you," she whispered, her eyes fluttering shut.

James clutched her to his body, still unaware of the battle raging around him.

"No, Lily, don't leave me. Please don't leave me now. I need you."

He shook her still body.

"Damn it, Lily, wake up!"

He rocked her harder.

Something clobbered James in the head, and he fell forward, still cradling Lily's body. Everything went black.

James awoke to the sound of low murmuring. No shouts, no sounds of anyone duelling. Just low, soft murmurs.

He opened his eyes. A soft light greeted his eyes, indicating that it must be morning.

A sudden flash. A memory zoomed through his mind. He only caught a glimpse of it, but it recounted everything from the previous night.

 _Lily_.

He bolted upwards, and pain shot through his head.

A cool hand rested on his shoulder. "Easy there, mate."

"Sirius!"

James engulfed his friend with an enthusiastic hug.

Sirius returned it, and then released him gently. He jerked his thumb towards a bed.

Shame filled him as he saw Lily's parents, huddled around what must be Lily's bed.

Bed springs creaked as James shifted to get a better look, and the Evans parents looked at him.

"Is she-?"

"Yes, she's alive. Unconscious, still." Mr. Evans stood up, and walked over to James.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, unable to meet Mr. Evans's gaze.

Mr. Evans laid a hand on his other shoulder.

"You did all you could, James. If you hadn't caught her, she would've died. Thank you."

"But still, I let him harm her. She still got hurt."

Sirius gave him an exasperated glance. "Prongs, stop sulking." he barked, slapping him roughly on the head. "It's not your fault. Voldemort is right bastard. You're letting him win by moping like this. Get your ass up, and we can go prove him wrong, if you like."

James gave a short laugh. "I would, but we can't afford you, me, and Lily all being injured. Who'd liven up Hogwarts, then? You know Moony and Wormtail can't do it."

"Oh, yeah. Wormtail couldn't pull a prank if his life depended on it."

Mr. and Mrs. Evans watched the two boys banter like they had been doing it their entire life. A wistful sigh escaped Rose's mouth.

"I remember when our own daughters used to argue like this. Without any grudges involved. When was the last time they did that, Graham?"

"Right before Lily went to Hogwarts."

Tears filled Rose's eyes as she recalled the memory.

"I can't believe that our Petunia is getting married in a few weeks, and our Lily is going to be graduating soon! It seems like just yesterday they were playing dress-up and having tea parties."

She sniffled, and Graham put an arm around her.

"And Graham, that brings me to another question. Do you approve of James? He is such a sweet boy and it's hard not to."

Graham squeezed her. "Of course I do, honey, what made you think that?"

"Oh, no, that's what I thought. James is the perfect boy for Lily."

"Yes, he is," agreed Graham absentmindedly, his eyes fixed on the two boys, whose banter had escalated into a play fight. With a sigh, he broke away from his wife, and went to separate them.

 **Ok, so that's that. Sorry for not updating for so long. School, unfortunately, has taken control of my life, and I have been swamped with so much work. But finally, I managed to finish.**

 **Review, please!**


	3. Competition

"Catch, Mr. Evans!" James shouted at Graham, lobbing the Quaffle at him.

"What have I told you about- _oof!"_ Graham lunged for the Quaffle, but it just barely grazed the tips of his fingers.

James, Sirius, Remus, and Graham were playing two-a-side Quidditch, while Rose and Peter watched from below. James had lent Graham his old Cleansweep, while he rode on his newer one.

Graham swore as the Quaffle once again soared over his head, out of reach.

"Old age catching up to you, eh?" Sirius taunted from the other side of the pitch.

"Don't underestimate me, young man," threatened Graham playfully.

Absorbed in their mini Quidditch game, none of them noticed Lily standing just in front of the stands. It was Rose's shriek of surprise that alerted them.

James landed on the ground first, and dropping his broom, he sprinted towards her.

Lily's smile filled him up on the inside, washing over him with indescribable warmth. With a last burst of speed, he barreled into her.

"Careful," Lily laughed "I only just got out and you-"

She was cut off by a mouth covering her own. His arms snaked around her waist, and her own automatically wound around his neck as they kissed heavily.

There was no way they were letting go of each other anytime soon.

Graham squirmed uncomfortably on the inside. He was not used to seeing Lily engaging in this kind of behavior.

Rose, however, was watching affectionately.

Much to Graham's relief, the couple's reunion was interrupted when a loud voice wailed "Oh! My gorgeous eyes! Get a room, Prongs!"

James detached himself from Lily and glared at his best mate. Lily was looking rather flustered. She pulled her blanket tighter around her body, as it had loosened while she and James had been "reuniting." However, it was in vain.

"Lily-billy!" shrieked Sirius enthusiastically, throwing himself at the redhead. He practically pounced on her, hugging her to death. He then picked her up and spun her around, and she screamed with joy.

"Are you sure that you didn't get into Moony's supply of Chocolate Frogs again?"

James shouted at Sirius, amused.

Sirius let go of Lily and pretended to think about it. Everyone knew what his answer was.

"Uh, hello, shouldn't I be getting two more Marauder bear hugs?"

Lily tapped her foot in mock impatience.

While Remus and Peter greeted Lily, Graham spoke quietly with his wife.

"I like this bunch," he said, nodding towards the four boys, "especially James. He's perfect for our Lily."

Rose nodded in agreement. It had taken her a lot less time to figure out the same thing.

"And," joked Graham "they make me remember what it was like to be their age. Not nearly as mature or responsible."

"Yes, that was the year you embarrassed me terribly. You jumped on a table every day and asked me out in the most unromantic way. I admired your creativity, but your methods were so unflattering!"

"Did I, now?" Graham scratched his chin offhandedly. "Didn't you secretly like it?"

As Rose began spluttering in indignation, Graham chuckled and went to hug his daughter.

"What's ruffling Mum's feathers?" asked Lily.

"Nothing, sweetie," he answered, smirking.

Lily saw the mischievous gleam in her father's eyes and decided not press further.

"Daddy," she said instead, "James invited me to his house to meet his parents. May I go?"

"Should I?" Graham pondered aloud. "Should I let Lilykins go to James's house?"

Lily looked up at him with pleading eyes, a look she had learned from her father, who often used it on his wife.

How could he resist?

"Right now?" he asked.

"In a couple of days."

"How long?"

"He wants us to have dinner together, then I can leave."

Graham turned to Rose to confer with her.

Lily waited on the side patiently, watching her parents discuss the pros and cons of letting her go. There were several nods from Rose. That seemed to be a good sign.

Then Graham turned back to Lily.

"Yes, you can go, but be back before eleven."

"Thank you!" Lily bounced excitedly, giving Graham a quick peck on the cheek, and then skipped over to James to tell him.

James's face lit up, and he hugged her. Graham looked on.

Sirius yelled disgustedly at the two, "OI! Enough of the lovey dovey stuff! Don't make me come over there and puke on you!"

Lily and James parted quickly, because they knew to take Sirius seriously. He would actually do it.

"Prongs, Papa Evans, I challenge you to a challenge!" exclaimed Sirius, infinitely relieved.

Remus looked oddly at his friend. "'I challenge you to a challenge?'" he repeated, "Some days, you are totally off-scale."

But Sirius wasn't listening to him. He was too busy gloating about his supposed "caliber and experience" on a broomstick. James was watching him, disgruntled.

"Uh-huh," he muttered, unconvinced.

"Alright, we get it!" said an exasperated Remus five minutes later. "Yes, we should all bow to the great and powerful Sirius Black!" he added, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"Yes! I knew I would rule someday!" crowed Sirius triumphantly. "Bow down to me, peasants!"

Lily rolled her eyes.

"That was sarcasm, Padfoot," said Remus, longing to slap him and knock some sense into him.

Sirius scratched his head. "It was?'

Lily and Remus sighed in unison.

"Well, never mind that. I shall rule the world someday!' cried Sirius.

"Padfoot, the day you rule the world is the day Moony's furry little problem gets solved," said James, taking the opportunity to tease his best friend.

Remus coughed, nudging James in the ribs, and jerking his head subtly towards Lily's parents, who were listening curiously.

"Ah, what happened to our challenge?" asked James, trying to cover the sticky moment.

"Oh yes. Prepare to go down, peasant!" exclaimed Sirius. He ruffled his hair and winked at Rose, causing her to turn a light pink.

Graham growled, and grabbed his broom and kicked off from the ground.

"Nice kickoff, Papa Evans," Sirius called enthusiastically.

He picked up his own broom and within moments, was floating in the air. James followed him quickly.

"Alright, lads, let's get going!' said Lily, doing her best professional impression of a commentator's voice. "Let me introduce you to the finest broom racers Britain has to offer. We have, on the Cleansweep, Graham Evans!"

Graham waved.

"Also on a Cleansweep, we have James Potter!"

James blew a kiss to Lily, and she smiled.

"And finally, on the Nimbus is Sirius Black!"

" _King_ Sirius Black, mind you!" shouted Sirius.

"You dolt, all you have to do is wave!" hissed James.

Sirius stared at him, affronted. Then he turned and slyly winked at Rose, whose face became darker pink.

"Stop flirting with my mother, Black!" yelled Lily from the ground, temporarily forgetting to use her commentator voice.

"My, my, someone's on their period!" retorted Sirius, smirking.

"Trust you to know all about a girl's body," shot back Lily.

"Oi! Are we going to race, or what?" hollered Graham.

"Yeah, sorry," said Lily, glaring at Sirius, who shrugged.

"On the count of three. One, two, three!"  
"And they're off!"

 **Sooo sorry about not updating soon enough, but my teachers are determined to make my life hell.**

 **And, for those of you who are not Potterheads, but for strange reasons like my stories, October 31st, tomorrow, is a historical moment in the Harry Potter world. Yes, ladies and gentleman, October 31st is the day Lily and James Potter tragically lost their lives. RIP.**


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